Display device



N. C. DUHON DISPLAY DEVICE Oct. 18, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 6, 1951 o iq INVENTOR. NOQBEQT C. DUHOH IKE-4|:

United States Patent Ofiice 2,721,256 Patented Oct. 18, 1955 DISPLAY DEVICE Norbert C. Duhon, Lafayette, La., assignor t Alcide Dominique, Lafayette, La.

Application November 6, 1951, Serial No. 255,106

1 Claim. (Cl. 24010.1)

This invention appertains to improvements in electrical display devices and particularly relates to improvements in devices for creating novel lighting effects for advertising and display purposes.

A primary object of this invention is to provide a simple and effective device, which will constantly project changing colored light rays through a suitably designed aperture in a casing, so that a novel and distinctive lighting effect is obtained.

A further object of this invention is to provide a casing, having one wall formed with a suitably designed aperture, such as a star, Christmas tree or the like, in combination with a reflecting background and a revolvable color screen, which is interposed between the reflecting background and the aperture for directing moving beams of colored light rays through the aperture and through a lens, which is interposed between the color screen and the aperture.

And yet another object of this invention is to provide an inexpensively constructed and maintained display device, which can be used, during holiday seasons, in private homes for decorative purposes to create a vivid and animated effect.

These and ancillary objects and structural features of merit are attained by this invention, the preferred embodiment of which is set forth in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, where- Figure 1 is a top plan view of a substantially square box or casing, which forms a part of this invention and in which the operating and illuminating structure is mounted, a portion of the top wall of the casing being broken away to illustrate the same;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken on line 3--3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on line 44 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 5--5 of Figure 2 and illustrating the color screen in plan view;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary detailed sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Figure 3 and illustrating in detail the conductor means for illuminating the lamp in the casing.

The display device 10 may be formed of any desired design, shape or size but, as illustrated, it includes a substantially square box or casing 12, which consists of a base 14, upstanding opposed side walls 16 and 18 and opposed upstanding side walls 20 and 22. A top wall 24 is suitably affixed to the upper coplanar edges of the upstanding side walls and is formed with a center opening 26, which may be, as illustrated, in a star design or can be in any desired design, appropriate for any holiday or other occasion.

An upstanding sleeve 28 is formed with a mounting flange 30, which is fixedly superimposed by lag screws 32 on the base, interiorly of the casing. A tubular member or post 34 is rotatably mounted within the sleeve, the lower flanged end 36 of the tubular post being rotatably mounted on ball bearings 38, which are held within a bearing member 40. The bearing member 40 is seated in the lower end of the sleeve and the post 34 is mounted for rotation within the sleeve.

A gear 42 is fixedly circumposed on the post 34 and is enmeshed with a worm 44, which is formed on a shaft 46. The shaft 46 is journaled between the depending legs 48 and 50 of a U-shaped bracket 52 and a gear 54 is fixedly circumposed thereon and spaced by bearings 56 from the legs. A prime mover, such as the electric motor 58, is mounted on the web portion of the bracket and seated on a block 60 and a worm gear 62 is formed on the armature shaft of the motor and is engaged with the vertically arranged gear 54.

Thus, the tubular post 34 is rotated about a vertical axis by the electric motor 58 through the worm 62, the vertically arranged gear 54, the worm 44 and the gear 42, which is fixedly circumposed on the post.

A bulb socket 64 is disposed within a flange 66 formed on the upper end of a collar 68, which is fixed by a set screw 70 on the upper end of the post 34. A conventional low voltage bulb 72 is conventionally disposed within the socket and the conducting base portion 74 of the socket, which receives the base of the bulb, is provided with contacts for receiving insulated conductors 76 and 78.

The conductors 76 and 78 are disposed within the tubular post 34 and terminate in contacts 80 and 82, which extend through lateral openings in the lower end of the post.

' connected to insulated conductors 96 and 98 which stem from a suitable source of electrical energy and are disposed through a sleeve 100, which is mounted in the side wall 16. The conductors 96 and 98 are connected to the motor 58 and supply the electrical power therefor, the conductors 92 and 94 stemming from the conductors 96 and 98 and leading into a housing 102, which is mounted on an upstanding bracket 104. The bracket 104 is secured to the upper surface of the flange 30, adjacent to the upstanding sleeve 28.

Cylindrical sleeves 106 and 108 formed of rubber or other insulative material are formed in the housing 102 and one end of the housing is open, the open end being closed by a cap 110, which is formed with openings 112 and 114, the openings being alignable with the bores in the casings. The opposing ends of the casings are apertured and contacts 116 and 118 are slidably disposed therethrough. The contacts are connected with the conductors 92 and 94 and are formed with annular shoulders 120 and 122, with springs 124 and 126 being concentrically disposed on the contacts and bearing against the cap and the shoulders to urge the contacts 116 and 118 into engagement with the rings 88 and 90. The springs are provided to compensate for the wear of the contacts 116 and 118 and to maintain the contacts in constant engagement of the rings, so that a constant electrical circuit is maintained between the source of electrical energy and the bulb 72.

A semi-spherical reflector 128 is provided at its closed end with an opening for receiving the socket of the bulb 72 and is formed, adjacent its open end, with an annular bearing ring or flange 130. A hearing member 132 is mounted on shoulders 134, which project laterally from the inner surface of the side walls. The bearing member 132 is formed with an opening for the reception of the reflector 128 and the outer edge thereof is formed with a groove for receiving ball bearings 136, which seat the undersurface of the ring 130. Thus, the reflector is mounted on the bearing member 132 and the socket and reflector are supported by the bearings 38 and the bearings 136.

The open end of the reflector 128 is enclosed by :a color wheel or circular screen 138, which includes a plurality of variously colored segments 139 and a center or core section 140, which is rnulti-colored in various geometrical formations. The color Wheel or screen 138 overlaps the reflector and apertured ears extend laterally from the reflector and the peripheral edges of the reflector are apertured at circumferentially spaced points for registering With the ears and receiving fasteners 144..

A concavo-convex or dish-shaped lens or diffusing element 142 is provided and is formed with a plurality of individual beads. The center of the lens is flat and is formed with a ring of beads and a plurality of tear shaped segments.

U-shaped brackets 148 have one of their legs afiixed by fasteners 150 to the underside of the top wall 24 and depend therefrom, the opposing legs 152 of the brackets seating the peripheral edges of the lens 142 and mounting the lens in a detachable manner in a position to underlie the opening 26 in the top Wall and to be dependably interposed between the opening 26 and the color Wheel or screen 138.

In use, the motor 58 is operative to rotate the bulb 72, which is a low wattage bulb and, consequently, does not generate 'very much heat. Obviously, there is sufficient spacing between the color wheel 138 and the reflector, so that air is circulated in the reflector and in the casing toprevent any possibility of damage to the transparent patterned colored wheel or disc from the heat generated by the light source.

As the lamp bulb 72 and its supporting post 34 is rotated, within the sleeve 28, the color wheel or disk 138 is rotated therewith and, consequently, the multicolored design of the color wheel will elfect a definite variation in color projection and design. The light rays, emanating from the bulb 72 will pass through the color screen or disc 138 and through the lens or diifuser 142 and through the opening 26. The result will be extremely interesting, pleasing and novel design, since the primary light emanating from the light source will have a multi-color effect and a continually sparkling color variation, thus producing a multi-colored star design 26 or other design in the top wall.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed An illuminating device comprising a casing, a support mounted in the casing, said casing having an opaque wall opposed to said support and formed with a predetermined designed opening, a tubular post rotatably mounted in said support, means for rotating said post, a light source mounted on the post, a reflector surrounding said light source and fixed to said post for rotation coaxially therewith, a colored disc interposed in the path of the light rays emanating from the light source and fixed to the reflector, said disc comprising a plurality of adjacent colored segments, each of the segments differing in color from the adjacent segment and a multi-colored central section, a disc shaped diflusing element having a plurality of bead-like design portions, said element being mounted in the casing and underlying the opening in the said wall, said opening being substantially smaller than and being coaxially arranged with respect to said disc, said rotating means for the post including an electric motor, a gear fixedly circumposed on the post, said motor having a drive shaft disposed parallel to the post, a worm on said shaft, a gear enmeshed with said worm, a shaft for said gear, and a worm on said shaft enmeshed with said gear on the post.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,313,848 Drummond Aug. 19, 1919 1,351,562 Foster Aug. 31, 1920 1,755,607 Laroche Apr. 22, 1930 1,940,500 Lawrence Dec. 19, 1931 2,293,106 Bourdakoif Aug. 18, 1942 2,446,333 Kennelly Aug. 3, 1948 

